Many workers employed to collect tolls on Portugal’s motorway network have been ordered to move location upto 100 kilometres away from their homes, according to their incensed trade union.
The leader of the Trade and Services Workers’ Union, António Vieira, said this is "a threat by Brisa to force the resignation of employees, highlighting the example of a woman resident in Maia, Oporto, who was told to turn up to work in Coimbra."
Brisa has denied any wrongdoing despite accusations of the ‘brutal and illegal’ treatment of hundreds of workers.
The trade union accused Brisa of an "attack on workers' rights, the absolute disregard for the collective agreement in force, and for the workplace defined in individual employment contracts."
At stake are the jobs of hundreds of workers across the country that under "pressure, threats and lies" from the company management.
The workers concerned "are refusing the transfers in question, and not signing the transfer documents presented to them."
"These transfers are not justifiable and the management has the undeclared goal of making life unbearable thus creating conditions for more voluntary terminations,” said the union leader adding that about 1,000 workers have left the company in recent years.
Brisa management said that "changes in the workplace have been a solution to keep jobs in the company," which "has been deeply affected by the economic crisis, this is lesser evil because it allows the preservation of jobs."
Brisa is indeed struggling as since 2008 the traffic on its roads has fallen by 25% leading to a drop in income of about €150 million. The management stated aim is to move employees to areas where there is the high traffic volume. The company gets no sympathy on this point as its recent distribution of over €400 million to shareholders shows it in a different light.
The company commented today that all is well and that "collective work agreements are being respected and the works council is being heard" and that the workers are getting company support to get to their new posts. The union disagrees.
